What should be in a green detergent label

Do you know that conventional laundry detergents contain various chemicals that stay on your clothes after the wash? Traditional detergents contain synthetic optical brighteners as well as surfactants, have fragrances, do not biodegrade, and can cause allergies. Many brands also contain alkyphenols, aromatic hydrocarbons, and chlorinated compounds, which are probable carcinogens and hormone disruptors. Many contain petroleum distillates, naphtha and naphthalene – all petroleum based depleting non-renewable resources, polluting our waters. So what can you do? Use natural laundry solutions, not only they protect you and your family from unnecessary chemical exposure but also help keep our waterways clean. Read labels. Ideally, a truly green detergent should have some or all of these words and phrases on its label: • Biodegradable (in less than a year). • Plant based (or botanically based). • Hypoallergenic. • No phosphates (which pollute rivers and streams). • No chlorine (this potent environmental pollutant is the chemical most frequently involved in household poisonings). • No petroleum. • No fragrance or synthetic dyes. • Concentrated. • Cruelty free (not tested on animals).